Ice machine



Feb. l0, 1959 w. K. ToMLlNsoN ICE MACHINE Filed Feb. 25, 1956 l/ 1/ nf /f/ United States Patent ICE MACHINE William Kent Tomlinson, Chicago, Ill.

Application February 23, 1956, Serial No. 567,194

Claims. {CL 62-347) down the surface of the drum, and as a result the ex- A cess of water will drip or otherwise fall beyond the lowermost margins of the drum. Simultaneously, as the ice is being removed from the drum in flake form it also falls down. Were the excess falling water allowed to mingle with the ice flakes in a collecting bin below the machine it would cause the llakes to freeze together quite extensively, forming large masses or chunks which would be undesirable in the customary uses of flake ice. Accordingly, various devices have heretofore been employed for segregating the excess water from the ice ilakes to prevent the above undesired result. According to my invention the above mentioned segregation is accomplished by locating a llexible baille in a position where it will intercept the falling water and divert it into a trough, and to deflect the flexible baille out of the pathway of falling ice so that the ice and water may not be commingled.

The accomplishment of the described segregation of ice and water is the primary object of this invention.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus for accomplishing that objective which is economical to install and utilize.

Another object of the invention is to provide for the separation of falling water and falling ice by means designed to insure the mose effective attainment of that objective without unduly increasing the cost of manufacture or the cost of operation of the machine.

Other objects :and advantages of the invention will be specifically mentioned hereinafter or will become apparent from a perusal of this specification.

Referring now to the drawing, which illustrates one embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 is a vertical central sectional view of the device;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a detail in section, on an enlarged scale, showi ing a portion of the baille and the deflector which cooperates with it.

In Fig. l there is shown an inner cylinder 10 on which the ice layer 11 is formed. Surrounding the cylinder wall 10 is an annular refrigerant chamber 12 in which any suitable refrigerant may be evaporated in the course of extracting heat from the descending water to form the ice layer. While the apparatus for condensing and circulating the refrigerant does not form a part `of this. invention there are shown a pipe 13 which may be em- ICC ployed to introduce the liquefied refrigerant into the annular chamber 12 and a pipe 14 provided for withdrawing the vaporized refrigerant for delivery to a compressor in a conventional refrigeration apparatus. Conventional controls for such apparatus, not shown, will be provided to assure the rapid formation of the desired ice layer 11.

A centrally disposed shaft 15 driven by any suitable motive power, for example, a motor and gear train disposed. in the housing 16 continuously rotate at a conventional low speed, for example, as slowly as one revolution per minute. The shaft 15 may be supported and guided in appropriate bearings, such as, for example, a lower bearing 17 and an upper bearing 18.

Secured to the shaft 15 and propelled thereby is a rigid and sturdy device frequently called the rotor 19 attached to the shaft, if desired, by collars 21 and carrying suitable blades 22 or other mechanism for dislodging the ice film from the cylinder 10. The construction of such blades does not form a part of this invention, hence, the details of their construction are not shown. It may be assumed, however, that they are more numerous than shown in the drawing and extend the full height of cylinder 10 at closely spaced intervals so that all of the ice lllm may be contacted and removed from the cylinder as the rotor rotates.

An appropriate layer of insulation 23 surrounds the refrigerant chamber 12 for the usual purpose of conserving refrigeration.

For supplying'water to the inner surface of the cylinder 10 I provide, preferably an annular trough 24 secured to the shaft 15 by means of a plurality of spiders 25 or other suitable means so that the trough rotates with the rotor. The mechanism for supplying water to the trough 24 does not form a part of this invention, as any suitable or conventional apparatus may be used for that purpose. A supply pipe 25, as part of such apparatus is shown. The trough 24, excepting for an area extending a short distance in advance of the ice removing blades 22 and a short distance following them, for example, through an arc of about is prcvided with numerous small perforations or water outlets 27 through which the water flows by gravity against the uppermost inner surface of the cylinder 10 to flow downwardly thereover.

In order to assure that an adequate supply of water will reach the lowermost parts of the freezing surface so that an ice layer of adequate thickness may also be formed in thatregion, it is customary, and I propose to follow that custom, to supply water in excess of the amount which will actually freeze on the cylinder surface as it courses downward thereover. To receive and collect this excess of water I provide a stationary'annular trough 28, mounted in any appropriate manner, below the cylinder 10 and below the downward extension 29 thereof, and, if desired, having such an internal diameter as to be out of the normal pathway of the falling ice ilakes. A pump 30 may be employed to return the excess Water to the apparatus which supplies trough 24. Some of the excess water will drip off the outwardly flared edge 31 of the cylinder 1t) into the trough 28. If there be an excess flow which would not readily follow the flared surface 31 such water will be intercepted by the flexible baille 32, whose lower margin is secured to the inner margin of the trough 28 in the position shown in any suitable or appropriate manner, such as adhesively or by mechanical attachment with rivets, screws or the like. This baille also will, as shown, extend somewhat inwardly of the ice layer.` For example, if the cylinder be 4 or 5 feet in diameter and .the ice layer two to four thirty-seconds of an inch in thickness, the inner margin 2er/afrol of the baffle 32 may have a diameter four to six inches less than the inner diameter of the ice layer. Thus, water flowing along the surface of the ice layer and droplets which may fall freely in space, if they bounce off irregu larities in the surface ofthe ice layer, would also be normally caught by the baille. The extent inwardly of the ice layer of the innermost edge of the baille is not critical. It may be varied as desired to assure the interception of all dripping or freely falling water.

The baille itself is quite flexible, being formed preferably of a sheet of rubber or of some synthetic plastic material thick enough to maintain the inclined position shown in the left hand side of the figure, yet flexible enough to be deflected mechanically in order that it may not intercept ice flakes falling somewhat to the front and rear of the ice removing blades 22.

To provide for the deflection l utilize an arm 33 secured in a suitable manner as by a collar 34 to the shaft 15, to rotate therewith, and on the outer extremity of the arm 33 I fix a blade or shoe 35 having such vertical and horizontal extent as to slidably contact the upper edge portion of the baille 32 as the shoe rotates with the rotor, below the ice removing blades 22 and to cause the baille to be deflected or pressed against the lower extension 29 of the cylinder 1) so that ice flakes removed from the cylinder by the blades 22 in the area above the shoe may fall freely down into an ice storage bin, not shown, without being intercepted by the baille 32. The shoe 35 is suitably further supported by means of angular braces 36 and 37 and is so shaped and is provided with such a smooth surface that in its deflecting of the baille 32 no rapid wear on the baille should occur.

In the operation of the device, water is delivered to the freezing surface of the cylinder 10 by the upper trough through outlets 27 except immediately in advance of and behind the ice removing blades 22. The layer of ice in front of the advancing blades has time to form and its surface to become dry before it is disoldged by the ice removing blades. Water flowing downwardly over the ice forming surface in excess of that which freezes, and other water which may bounce off the ice surface as free falling water droplets are intercepted by the flexible baille and diverted into the collecting trough 28. As the rotor slowly moves around the drum, dislodging ice from the frozen layer, simultaneously the shoe 35 will maintain a portion of the flexible baille 32 pressed against the lower edge of the drum so that ice falling either just forwardly or just rearwardly of the blades 22 cannot `be deflected into trough 2S. Thus, ice received into the conventional storage bin below the ice machine will not be wetted by water and, the ice flakes, each having dry surfaces, will have less tendency to adhere to each other than if they were wetted by water.

The frustro-conical shape of the flexible baille 32 may suflice to maintain it normally in position to catch the descending water, except where deflected by the shoe 35. However, l may add further support to the baille by employing a plurality of swingable supporting arms. One of these is shown in Fig. 3. It has an upper supporting arm 33 integral with a lower stop arm 39, and is pivotally supported at 41 between projecting ears on a conventional type of bracket 42, the latter being secured to the stationary trough 28. The entire arm or its portions may be rigid or somewhat resilient as long as the essential support is provided.

In Fig. 3 this swingable arm is shown deflected along with the baille 32 by the shoe 35. In Fig. 1 the same type of arm is in its normal baille supporting position, as its stop arm rests against the trough. As many of these swingable supports as are needed may be disposed at intervals along trough 28, and they will not interfere with the deflecting function of shoe 35.

While I have shown in the drawing and described in the specification a preferred embodiment of the invention,

it should be understood that some modifications differing in detail therefrom may be employed without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims.

Having shown and described the invention, I claim:

l. In a flake ice machine the combination of a vertical cylinder having a cylindrical surface on which water may be frozen to form a thin ice layer, means for supplying water to the upper margin of said surface, a rotor and means carried thereby for dislodging ice flakes from said surface, an annular trough positioned below said cylinder for indirectly collecting water falling from and adjoining said surface, a stationary flexible baille having a circumferentially continuous frustro-conical surface extending inwardly of a vertical projection of the ice layer and extending outwardly over said trough and positioned to deflect said falling water into said annular trough, and means carried by said rotor progressively engageable with successive portions of said baille beneath and adjoining said ice dislodging means for deflecting the engaged portion of the baille out of the path of ice falling through a vertical zone adjacent said ice dislodging means.

2. ln a flake ice machine the combination of a vertical cylinder having a cylindrical surface on which water may be frozen to form a thin ice layer, means for supplying water to the upper margin of said surface, a rotor and means carried thereby for dislodging ice flakes from said surface, an annular trough positioned below said cylinder for indirectly collecting water falling from and adjoining said surface, a stationary flexible baille having a circumferentially continuous frustro-conical surface extending inwardly of a vertical projection of the ice layer and extending outwardly over said trough and positioned to deflect said falling water into said annular trough, and means carried by said rotor progressively cngageable with succession portions of said baffle beneath and adjoining said ice dislodging means for dellecting the engaged portion of the baille against the cylinder wall thereby avoiding the deflection of falling ice into said trough.

3. ln a flake ice machine the combination of a vertical cylinder having a cylindrical surface on which water may be frozen to form a thin ice layer, means for supplying water to the upper margin of said surface, a rotor and means carried thereby for dislodging ice flakes from said surface, an annular trough positioned below said cylinder and having an internal diameter greater than the diameter of the ice layer for indirectly collecting water falling from and adjoining said surface, a stationary flexible baille having a circumferentially continuous frustroconical surface extending inwardly of the ice layer, and outwardly over said trough positioned to deflect said falling water into said annular trough, and means carried by said rotor engageable with said baille beneath and adjoining said ice dislodging means for deilecting the engaged portion of the baille against the cylinder wall thereby avoiding the deflection of falling ice into said trough.

4. In a flake ice machine the combination of a vertical cylinder having a cylindrical surface on which water may be frozen to form a thin ice layer, means for supplying water to the upper margin of said surface, a rotor and means carried thereby for dislodging ice flakes from said surface, an annular trough positioned below said cylinder and having an internal diameter greater than the diameter of the ice layer for indirectly collecting water falling from and adjoining said surface, a stationary flexible baille having a circumferentially continuous frustro-conical surface extending inwardly of the ice layer and extending outwardly over said trough positioned to deflect said falling water into said annular trough, the outer lower margin of the baille being secured to the limer margin of the trough and the inner upper margin of the baffle extending inwardly of the inner diameter of the ice layer except when deflected, and means carried by said rotor engageable with said baille beneath and adjoining said ice dia- 5 lodging means for deilecting the engaged portion of the baffle against the cylinder wall.

5. In a ilake ice machine the combination of a vertical cylinder having a cylindrical surface on which Water may oe frozen to form a thin ice layer, means for supplyink water to the upper margin of said surface, a rotor and means carried thereby for dislodging ice flakes from said surface, an annular trough positioned below said cylinder and having an internal diameter greater than the diameter of the ice layer for collecting water falling from and adjoining said surface, a stationary flexible bae having a circumferentially continuous frustro-conical surface extending inwardly of the ice layer positioned to deect said falling water into said annular trough, the outer lower margin of the bae being secured to the inner 15 2,716,869

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,310,468 Short Feb. 9, 1943 2,575,374 Walsh Nov. 20, 1951 2,712,734 Lees July 12, 1955 Lees Sept. 6, 1955 

